Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League at Anfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai scoring the decisive goal.
Mikel Arteta acknowledged that he was aware Arsenal would not be able to dominate Liverpool for the full 90 minutes, citing the intensity and atmosphere of Anfield as a major factor.
The defeat delivered an early setback to Arsenal’s aspirations of ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, as they were narrowly beaten by the reigning champions. The clash between last season’s top two sides offered little in terms of clear-cut chances, but it was ultimately settled by a moment of brilliance.
In the 83rd minute, Szoboszlai struck a sublime free-kick into the top corner, maintaining Liverpool’s perfect start to their title defence. Arsenal, meanwhile, dropped points for the first time this season and extended their winless run at Anfield, which stretches back to 2012.
Although Arsenal appeared to have the upper hand in the first half, they managed just one effort on target and were unable to build sustained pressure after the break. When asked about the reasons behind the dip in performance, Arteta responded:
“Because this is Anfield and at some point, it’s going to change. You cannot dominate Anfield for 95 minutes and it changed in various ways, especially because we didn’t make the right decision when our keeper got the ball in their hands, we started to rush it, the turnovers, we didn’t manage them so well so we could never glide as a team. They are going to create those moments without really creating any situations of danger.”
Arteta added: “We didn’t do our gameplan to frustrate them; we did it to win it. I think we elevated the game and the dominance to a point that they had to raise it. They did, especially from the 60-78th minute, when then you could see that there were no margins in the game.
”When that happens, the game is going to be decided in two ways. One, with an individual error, and two, with a magic moment. Szoboszlai created a moment that was incredible, that has won the game, and that was the difference, nothing else.”
Saliba Injury Update
Arsenal were dealt an early setback just five minutes into the contest when key defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury.
The France international sustained the problem during the warm-up, and any extended absence would represent a significant blow. Manager Mikel Arteta admitted he was concerned about Saliba’s condition.
Arteta explained that Saliba twisted his ankle in the warm-up but insisted he felt capable of starting. However, the defender quickly struggled in the opening exchanges, leading to his withdrawal.
The Arsenal manager expressed relief at having Yerson Mosquera available, who was introduced for his Premier League debut under unexpected circumstances at Anfield. Arteta praised the youngster’s performance, describing it as “really, really good.”
“I am (worried) because you cannot play a game of that stature. After you tried [to], that means that there is something wrong.”
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